Some people have been exchanging barbs about others being too chicken to use his or her real email address. I used to, as some people would email me with good info. Then last week, someone used me screen name to send a bunch of porn spam. I got some hate letters. They should have known it was fictitious by the header, but alas. I reported em to the FTC, then found domain owner and reported him to Attorney general of Ohio, then Spamcop.Beware folks!

I mistakenly used my real e-mail the first time I used this site. The next week my junk mail increased by around 75%. I still get it all he time, but before I only got a couple per day. Now I probably get about 15 per day. It just stinks because now I don't even like going in my e-mail because everything is junk. How do you go about reporting these people and does it work ?

Anyone who uses a real email address is asking for trouble. Ask for the people who cry "chicken": I can't imagine what they're thinking.

Jay,
go to spamcop.com They will send a report to the host site. Also, if it's from AOL, send it to tosemail . Next, sent it to [email protected] If one in particular is bugging you, find out the domain owner and which state he's in then go for him through the attorney general. I did this to one ass in CA, and they shut him down! CA is really helpful.

Either I'm lucky, or more likely, hotmail is doing a good job of filtering spam (as I requested when signing up.) I've not received one piece of spam since I started using it. And I post here several times a week.

You're a very lucky man, George. My hotmail account is the worst for spam mail. Once you've hit 250 unwanted spam users, then they start sending the spam mail. I never like to open my hotmail account, since it's always just junk mail!

I have only used my real name and email address ever since I started using Fodors about 2 years ago -- I guess at the time, it didn't occur to me that it might not be a smart thing to do.
In all that time, I have never received a "hate" message in my personal email, and I have received a total of two advertisements that I assume came from this site. The email name I use here is a secondary name which is also the one I give to friends and use for personal business, so all spam from my registered main email address goes to that main "person", which I never even open. If all those spammers were getting my name and address from here, those ads would go directly to me, rather than to the "registered" email address.
On the other hand, I have received dozens of personal emails from Fodors individuals who have thanked me for my help, told me to "hold on" when I am being insulted and raked over the coals here, and asked or offered personal additional information regarding posts I have made here.
I'm not suggesting that it is right for everyone and I've never called anyone chicken for not using their real email, but it has sure worked for me.
I am not afraid to contact authorities if someone did misuse my email address, but fortunately that has never had to happen.

right on Patrick but what can you do when people get nasty in here to each other. It can be hard just to hold on.

I have incredibly thick skin. Maybe years of living in Florida are turning me into an alligator? I just ignore the rude and nasty personal attacks. Sure it sometimes bothers me a little, but then I reread the offending post and usually realize what an idiot that poster is for making such a stupid post and I feel better.

Patrick, that's a really healthy attitude, we should all aspire to!

Patrick, I think your lack of spam has more to do with your ISP than luck. We have an earthlink account as well, and if you've ever read their terms, you know they are vigilant about protecting their users from unwanted spam. We don't receive spam to that account.

On the other hand, the yahoo account I've posted here in the past receives an average of 25 spam e-mails per DAY, most of them porn ads, and many of them cleverly disguised so that you don't know it's porn until you open it.

One recourse is to forward your unwanted spam to abuse@(fill in host) and if it's their account, they will supposedly deal with it. Unfortunately, spammers routinely change their e-mail addresses and it's difficult to track them down.

Safest bet is NOT to post any e-mail address you wouldn't want the whole world and all its weirdos to have.

I think it is a little silly for people to say that they are lucky up to this point. It is kind of like saying that I walk around counting my money but I haven't been mugged yet. I am sure that the Ohio Atty Gen gets more than one call a day and that Linda is not the only one this hour who has a similar problem. I was reading in the NY Times that bank robberies are down significantly in NY but up tremendously in those rural towns without bullet proof glass, guards or major security. In one town, it got so bad that they don't have a bank anymore. Just made me think that we don't live in Mayberry anymore and even someone in rural Montana can't be naive.

I set up a hotmail account just for posting stuff online. I wouldn't put my ISP e-mail address in a public forum or even on an online contest application, as that e-mail account is reserved for family and close friends. So far, I've not received any junk mail in my hotmail junk mail file and only one ad in my hotmail inbox.
ja

Used actual e-mail address on heavy travel planning, when I wanted substantive responses, so I did benefit. But had to cease the practice when someone on the site switched into a destructive mode. Too bad for the site, because I travel a lot and could have offered some benefits. Humbled but unbowed, unfortunately, however, none the wiser, as the GB of T could attest. gt;

I receive approximately 40 spam messages per day at my hotmail account, and roughly 2-3 per day at my work account.

Work has a much better anti-spam system, where it automatically deletes most messages that have references to porn.

Spammers get emails by scouring message boards such as this. Patrick I'm sure that your email is on somebody's list somewhere. And it's being sold and sold and sold to more and more spammers looking to send you the latest free porno ad. My company has had extensive meetings regarding spam, and they strongly advise against ever ever ever posting your real email address anywhere. It simply isn't smart. Although on the surface it may be a nice thing to do it's just time before someone takes advantage and exploits this mistake.

eBay has a good system to protect email addresses. I am able to contact other users via email but neither my nor the other person's email are ever visible to anyone. I have to actually make a special request to ebay to receive another user's email. Works well. Until Fodors does something like this I'd strongly advise against posting your personal email on this site.

It'd be like writing your ATM PIN # on your ATM card, or posting your name and address on your car.

Just a little follow up to what I posted before. I only recently switched to Earthlink -- DSL. Before that I used AOL, but again my account name is where all the spam and porno ads went. The screen name and email address I used did not receive those even though I used them here for well over a year. I also did have a hotmail account -- which I felt would be easier to access when traveling. The numbers of porno ads on that -- mainly what should be illegal dealing with teenage girls and boys -- was astounding. I haven't even checked that account in months.
Maybe I am just lucky, but I had been told that you should open your email account in one name, but use a different name for your main account. That proved to be effective. It seems to be the actual account name and address that the spam and porno stuff goes to. At least that worked for me with AOL, and now seems to work with Earthlink.

Patrick that is interesting and good advice. The amount of spam (and the Quality of the spam) is truly horrifying at my hotmail account. I use it for all of my online transactions (I do a lot of e-commerce) and I am astounded at the increasing rate of spam.

Hotmail limits you to 2MB worth of storage. Every day I receive notices that my account will be cancelled unless I remove extra email (which is entirely due to spam).

Trust that all you hotmail users know that you can configure your hotmail account to filter for spam and instantly delete it....

Linda,
You said something about the FTC. Have you had any luck there or heard from them?

One time they did warn me that an attachment to a spam mailing had a virus linked to it. I never download those anyway.